Manny Pacquaio makes a triumphant return at a time his country needs a hero. Oscar Pistorius falls from grace in a high-profile slaying case. Tiger Woods is back on top in golf. And Andy Murray answers Great Britain's prayers at Wimbledon. Take a look at other significant moments in sports from 2013. (AP Photos)

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Boston Marathon bombing

Martin Richard, 8 years old, loved Bruins hockey and Boston sports. So when it was time for the 2013 Boston Marathon he went with his family to watch along Boylston Street near the finish line.

Also on hand were brothers Tamerlan Tsarnaev, 26, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, now 20. They had another purposed from joining the crowd along the busy streets.

They came with backpacks that carried bombs built with pressure cookers filed with explosives.

The horror of Patriots Day's signature event was seared into the memory as the bombs went off within seconds of each other. When the smoke cleared and emergency rescue work began, Martin was dead. So too were Krystle Marie Campbell, 29, from the Boston suburbs; and Lingzi Lu, a native of Shenyang, China, and a graduate student at Boston University.

There were 264 injured onlookers and athletes, including Martin's mother and sister (left).

The Tsarnaev brothers fled the scene and were identified as prime suspects, seen in surveillance video. Later they allegedly killed MIT patrol officer Sean Collier, 26. When Tamerlan Tsarnaev, a former boxer, was wounded in a police shootout, reports said Dzhokhar ran over his body while driving a car to escape. Tamerlan died.

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was apprehended and awaits trial. His victims await justice. Survivors continue to deal with severed limbs and other injuries. They display what has become the watchword for recovery: Boston Strong.

Among images of Martin is one of him holding a sign that read: "No more hurting people. Peace." (AP Photos)

The only thing missing from his personal renaissance was a major championship.

"It's been an incredible year to have won five times, two of those World Golf Championships and one Players," Woods said. "It's been just a fantastic year all around. It's also an incredible feeling to be voted by your peers, and to have that type of respect is something that's very humbling."

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Ah, yes: This story was the touchstone for the Tiger-Lindsey relationship. Remember? Davis Love III had found a young squirrel on the course during a break in Presidents Cup play because of a storm, and the critter became part of a warm, fuzzy moment. Vonn took the squirrel and placed it on Woods' shoulder. Social nirvana. It was the biggest thing for GIF since peanut butter … or something like that. (Jay LaPrete/AP)

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Manny Pacquaio needed a victory. His nation needed a hero in a time of tragedy. The convergence came in Macau when Pacquiao faced Brandon Rios. When the bout was over, Pacquaio had his first victory in two years. He also again had a championship belt, albeit one critics said was created for him.

Rios, a game fighter from the U.S., lost a unanimous decision in Nov. 24's WBO international welterweight title. He was fodder, willing but not able to keep up with a fading boxing superstar.

Pacquaio won while Filipinos came to grips with aid efforts in the city of Tacloban after Typhoon Haiyan. Later, in his role as a Philippines congressman, he helped distribute supplies to struggling survivors the central island of Samar. “Let us find hope in God’s Grace to help us get back on our feet and recover from the devastation,” he said.

Whatever is ahead — Floyd Mayweather Jr., perhaps —Pacquiao remains a popular power in his pugilistic dotage. (Vincent Yu/AP)

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Filipinos celebrate Pacquiao

Typhoon survivors cheer following Manny Pacquiao's unanimous win over Brandon Rios. Their bout was telecast live at a public park in Tacloban, the city on Leyte in central Philippines laid to waste by Typhoon Haiyan. Time magazine reports the storm's death toll at more than 5,700. (Bullit Marquez/AP)

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Serena rules in France

Tennis has fallen on hard times in the United States, so it falls to a hard-bodied athlete to keep America relevant in elite competition. Serena Williams defies age as the best female tennis player on the planet. She won two of the year's four grand slam events, starting with the French Open.

The victory completed her rebound from a shocking loss to 111th-ranked Virginie Razzano in the first round at the 2012 French Open. After that defeat she went 74-3, including titles at Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the London Olympics and the season-ending WTA Championships.

And No. 1 wasn't through winning. (David Vincent/AP)

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Queen of Queens

After being upset by Sabine Lisicki at Wimbledon, Williams was on a mission at the Open. No one would stop her. That included Sloane Stephens, whose victory over Serena at the Australian Open set them up for a rivalry.

So when she met No. 2 seed Victoria Azarenka in Sept. 8's championship match, mighty Serena looked unbeatable. And yet, she struggled on a windy day at the U.S. Tennis Center before an overpowering Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-1.

Serena improved to 67-4 with a career-high nine titles in 2013. (David Goldman/AP)

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Blade Runner slaying case

In a year of stunning news, few events left people thunderstruck more than word Oscar Pistorius was a suspect in the slaying of girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. On Valentine's Day, no less. Pistorius rose to international acclaim as track and field's Blade Runner, using metallic spring devices in place of his amputated lower legs to become an Olympian. Pistorius wasn't just another public figure. He wasn't even just another icon. He was Super Icon, occupying a special place around the planet. (Lucky Nxumalo/AP)

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Police claim Pistorious killed Steenkamp, a model, on Valentine's Day in their residence. Shots were fired, and her head was allegedly bludgeoned with a cricket bat.

Prosecutors said Pistorius shot "with the intention to kill a person," and a prosecution spokesman said after the hearing that it was premeditated murder. If convicted, Pistorius could face a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years in prison before parole. There is no death penalty in South Africa.

With a scheduled Feb. 7 start day, the 2014 Winter Olympics will begin a two-week run in the Black Sea resort of Sochi in southern Russia. Russian strongman Vladimir Putin, second from left, has become the face of the Games' preparation … warts and all.

According to TheAtlantic.com: "Many locals are facing difficulties that are a direct result of the new construction. … The problems are serious and wide-ranging, including disrupted water supplies, damaged homes (sometimes with no government compensation), and forced evictions. Residents in Sochi's Akhshtyr district say that the construction of railway and highway tunnels has even cut them off from public transit."

Russian officials are stomping out controversy surrounding the nation's policy at discouraging homosexuality. Radio Free Europe provided story with the headline: " 'Putin's Games' Sheds Light On Corruption, Abuse In Sochi".

This will be a very interest Olympiad … and not just from the standpoint of competition. (AP Photo)

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Rule, Britannia!

Britain staggered through the Blitz, the loss of an empire, economic nightmares, terrorism attacks and all manner of calamity. But in sports nothing rivaled the 77-year drought its men suffered at the signature event in tennis.

Murray's 6-4, 7-5, 6-4 was a fitting close to British frustration in its own backyard: a straight-setter, yes, but a hard-fought, 3-hour, 9-minute affair filled with long, punishing rallies and a final game that may have felt like another 77 years, with Murray squandering three match points before finally putting it away after four deuces.

Few acts upset the staid world of golf as much as Jason Dufner's display of affection with wife Amanda after winning the PGA Championship. As they walked off the course on Aug. 11, Dufner reached down and gave the missus a playful squeeze — to her buns.

Posing with the Wanamaker Trophy, the Dufners presented the image of a couple in love and united in celebration of a golf major championship. Nice.

Dufner is more Tin Cup than country club snob. He uses spit tobacco while playing — Amanda brings him his puck of dip. And on an afternoon at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, N.Y., he touched golf fans with a quick pinch. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)

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The Katherine Webb affair

Katherine Webb loves AJ McCarron. Isn't that sweet? An Auburn girl and an Alabama football hero prove there are no bounds to devotion. There are bounds on what is said about women … especially on television. So when ESPN's Brent Musberger went ga-ga over the lady, viewers of the BCS title game were right to be a little creeped out.

ESPN apologized. Webb accepted. And while the star and his starlet, a former Miss Alabama, continue their relationship, Webb continues her modeling career. Appearing in SI's swimsuit issue. And appearing in a steamy fast food commercial.

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Money. Floyd Mayweather Jr. continues to prove himself the best fighter pound for pound on the planet, with impressive victories over Roberto Guerrero in May and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in September. Mayweather improved to 45-0 with his victory over Alvarez at the MGM Grand Garden arena in Las Vegas.

Everybody wants a piece of the champ as he prepares to wind down his career. Good luck when they get their fight. (Isaac Brekken/AP)

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Froome with a view

Christopher Froome's victory in the 100th edition of the Tour de France gave Britain more to cheer in cycling. It marked the second consecutive year the even was owned by a man from the Isles, following Bradley Wiggins' 2012 victory. Wiggins wasn't able to defend because a knee injury.

Froome took the race lead on Stage 8 in the Pyrenees, never relinquished it and vigorously fended off rivals. The Kenya-born British rider was dogged by questions regarding doping throughout the Tour, which was the first to take place since cycling was rocked by seven-time winner Lance Armstrong's admission of guilt over the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs.

However, Froome insists he is happy to be the face of a cleaner sport, and claimed his fellow competitors would not stand for any cheating. (Christophe Ena/AP)

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Mickelson wins the British Open

Phil Mickelson holds the Claret Jug trophy after winning at Muirfield, Scotland, on July 21. He completed perhaps his finest final round, charging through the leaders at Muirfield to secure victory.

It was Mickelson's first title in golf's oldest championship and the fifth major of his career. It is his first major victory since the Masters in 2010.

In addition to Mickelson and Dufner, other winners in golf majors were Adam Scott at the Masters and Justin Rose at the U.S. Open.

Mickelson's celebration began while there were four groups on the course. He capped his day by sinking a 10-footer at the tough 18th.

Three strokes clear of his nearest challenger, Sweden's Henrik Stenson, Mickelson sat in the clubhouse for the long wait as Lee Westwood, Adam Scott and Tiger Woods finished their rounds.

He answered "yes" to a series of questions by Winfrey about doping and added that he didn't believe that it was "humanly possible" to win the Tour without using banned substances or engaging in blood doping. Armstrong said he began using banned substances in the mid-1990s, around the time he was diagnosed with cancer.

Fallout from the February interview continued. Summation: An American has become viewed as a discredited fraud. (Photo courtesy Harpo Studios)

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As the Worm turns

Dennis Rodman continues to cement his place in history as the world's weirdest man. And not just the sports world.

So The Worm becomes the goodwill ambassador to a police state, bringing peace, love and basketball to a country where people are fed lies instead of food and freedom of movement comes with chains instead of strings attached.

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U.S. Olympic team announcements are under way, fleshing out the field that will represent the Stars and Stripes at the Sochi Games. Say hello to Lolo Jones, who becomes the rare athlete to perform in both Winter and Summer Olympiads. Jones shows her true colors as a member of the U.S. bobsled team. You go, Lolo! (Carlo Allegri/AP)

Tony Kanaan had one more lap, one anticlimactic last lap under the yellow caution flag, to end 12 years of frustration in the Indianapolis 500. He flipped up his visor to wipe away tears as the crowd roared its approval, and then in Victory Lane gave his bride of two months a long kiss and after taking a swig poured the celebratory winner's milk over his head. Kanaan is Indy's hard-luck loser no more. He is its champion at last, fittingly with a dose of good luck for a change.